


Dinner Conversation

by Naithom



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Dinner, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Families of Choice, Family Dinners, Family Fluff, Ficlet, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Humor, chosen family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25584799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naithom/pseuds/Naithom
Summary: Just a little piece about dinner conversation at Wardlow. Storytelling, ribbing each other, just a nice pleasant evening, for once.While not everyone is talking, everyone is there.
Relationships: Hugh Collins/Dorothy "Dot" Williams, Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 71





	Dinner Conversation

The Fisher “family” was enjoying a pleasant dinner and laughing as Mac told stories of some of her adventures with Phryne.

“So, as the ambulance skidded sideways to a stop right in front of the surgical tent Lt. General Haking burst out the passenger door screaming about her driving and retching and here you have tiny little Phryne, not quite to her full height, her braids haven fallen out from under her driver’s cap very calmly getting out the driver side door and says:

And in concert, the two women said, “I told you if you sit up front it’s best to keep your eyes closed!”

The entire table roared in laughter.

Phryne reminisced, “I warned the old coot that his keeping his lunch down wasn’t as important as the five wounded men in the back.”

Bert hooted and said, “Maybe he should have written up whoever taught you to drive.”

This comment sent Phryne and Mac into further fits of laughter to the point that both had tears rolling down their cheeks. “Should… I… tell… them?” the doctor asked conspiratorially between gasps of air.

As Phryne was still laughing too hard to catch her breath, she waved Mac on to continue.

“Only… lesson… she ever… got was Haking pointing to the front… and telling her to hit the gas… get them in, get them loaded… and get them back even faster.”

Hugh’s innocently dry, “Well, that would explain why she never uses the brake”, bought another roar of laughter, Bert and Mac falling out of their chairs, Phryne feigning insult and Dot smacking him on the arm.

As Mac took another drink of her tea, she said, “The diggers appreciated her speed and courage under fire but the powers that be debated whether to aim her at the German line or give her nurses training. They decided they were less likely to be brought up on violating the Hague Convention if she became a full-fledged nurse.”

As Jack caught his breath, his brow furrowed as he tried to recall something. 

“Haking, wasn’t he with the Fifth? Where were you when you ran over, I mean, ran into… when did you start working with the Fifth?” This time it was Phryne slapping his arm each time he attempted to correct himself.

Phryne pondered for a moment. “Let’s see, I escaped that horrid finishing school about the middle of May, so I must have gotten to Fromelles in July.”

While Bert and Cec gasp in astonishment that she had been at Fromelles, a battle which had decimated the Australian troops, Jack’s reaction was “You couldn’t have been more than…”

“I was 15 and a half.”

The adults’ were in stunned silence until the shock was shattered by a request that could only have come from a child innocent of the knowledge of war.

“When I’m 15, will you teach me how to drive, Miss Phryne?”

Faster than Phryne could get a word out, Jack declared, “I think I speak for much of the Victoria population and ALL of the Victoria constabulary when I say, it would be safer, er, best if I am the one to teach you the rules of the road…when you are 16.” 

Bert chuckled from the other end of the table. “Is that coming from a worried copper or a terrified father?”

Jack looked at Phryne, then Jane, and simply said, “Both.”

**Author's Note:**

> I always wondered why Phryne drove that way. One night she told me.
> 
> A line in this piece is a nod to my departed Mother. On the occasion of her first driving lesson at the age of 36, the driving instructor launched himself out the side door and barrel-rolled into the front yard grass screaming, "You're blind woman, you're blind!" Mother exited the car in a far more dignified manner, looked down at the cowering man and said indignantly, "I am not blind, I just had my eyes closed!"


End file.
